


Visitors

by AstralKnight



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Gen, Implied Relationships, More on: Sakura is too good for this world, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-25 22:37:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7549951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstralKnight/pseuds/AstralKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Sakura's room is pivotal for the formation of bonds and life aboard Wunder is seen through her eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visitors

Sakura gets a lot of visitors. She’s had her own room for a while now, but she’s never alone too long – at least during the daytime. When she’s too frightened to sleep alone, or simply in need of human contact, she only has to walk out of her room and knock on a door. She’s memorized the layout of the personal quarters and she knows who is more likely to sleep inside their room. Thankfully, everyone on the ship is too light a sleeper to leave her hanging.

Mari is the one who comes very often, so much so that Sakura wonders if she doesn’t practically live in her room. She even sleeps in it sometimes, despite the fact that Mari’s room is directly adjacent to Sakura’s.

Sakura doesn’t mind in the slightest, glad for the company. Mari is also a very easy person to be around. Mari is the one who got her into drawing, bringing whatever art supplies she can salvage to her room. Sakura had protested at first, knowing that Mari also likes to draw, but Mari says she prefers practicing her art in Sakura’s company rather than in her own room, alone.

Mari also brings a lot of cat-themed items that she finds here and there, much to Sakura’s delight. Sakura doesn’t have much experience in regard to cats – she’s barely interacted with any – but the fact that Mari likes them so much makes her like them too.

Sakura once asked her what cats were like. Mari had thought for a moment before dictating that the simplest analogy for one would be Asuka. Sakura had nodded sagely before asking if that was why Mari liked her so much. Mari had laughed before complimenting her on her wit.

Mari calls her ‘kitten’ and it makes her feel loved.

 

* * *

 

Sakura greets everyone with a smile, especially Asuka, even though she’s kind of intimidating. Asuka doesn’t smile often, so Sakura always smiles for her. Sakura remembers the first time she smiled at her, how taken aback Asuka was. Sakura had concluded that Asuka mustn’t have received a lot of those in her life, so she tries to make up for lost time. She considers it a victory each time Asuka cracks even the tiniest of smiles.

She now understands why Mari smiles so much around Asuka. Then again, Mari almost always has a grin on her face. It saddens her to know that some crew members call her flighty and childish, even though they don’t know her.

Mari nonchalantly says that it doesn’t matter since the people she cares for don’t do that. Still, Sakura’s seen Asuka give particularly vicious glares to these gossipers and that somehow makes Sakura feel much better. Asuka is surprisingly protective, despite seeming constantly annoyed by Mari.

Asuka’s visits become more frequent over time and Sakura is less intimidated by her. She sees a person who is learning how to show her care for others, because she’s never been cared for.

She particularly enjoys Asuka and Mari’s banter and seeing the slow evolution in their relationship over the years.

 

* * *

 

Even when the memories of a red sky are becoming too much, when she’s sitting against the wall and hugging her knees, she tries to smile for Asuka. Asuka frowns, walks over and says, “Don’t force yourself, kid.”

She ruffles Sakura’s hair awkwardly, maybe to show that she still appreciates it, before sitting down beside her. Asuka never has been very good at comforting, but she tries and she cares, and that’s enough for Sakura. This time Sakura doesn’t force herself to smile.

Asuka watches her, a myriad of emotions crossing her face. She’s actually very expressive, once you know her enough to recognize the micro variations in her expression. Sympathy, sadness, anger… Sakura thinks this is…familiar to Asuka.

Asuka grumbles as she finally comes to a decision and removes a hand from her jacket and extends her arm. Sakura knows what this means. After all, she has watched Asuka grow more comfortable with physical contact, accept and initiate it more often. Sakura doesn’t waste this chance.

She wraps her arms around Asuka’s midriff and settles her head against her shoulder. Asuka’s arm rests around Sakura’s shoulders. One thing Sakura’s learned is that Asuka is more comfortable than she appears. She smells of LCL.

Sakura is about to close her eyes when she spots pink and purple at her door. Mari is watching with a fond smile. She’s leaning into the doorframe, right beside the area they chose to keep track of Sakura’s growth. She doesn’t look as sad as she used to.

The smile quickly turns into a smirk. Asuka must have noticed her, Sakura thinks. She’s seen this scenario happen enough to know that Asuka is now glaring at Mari. She wonders when they’ll finally be honest with each other. People think Asuka is the only one who shells her emotions. Sakura thinks Mari’s shell merely takes a different form.

They bicker, Asuka asking if Mari was going to stand there all day. Mari answers in her typical flippant fashion. The red recedes from Sakura’s mind as she closes her eyes, content. She hears them shush each other after a while, the sound of Mari’s light footsteps approaching.

Sakura feels Mari’s body heat behind her, an arm circling her waist. They’re both silent, watching her. Sakura can’t see them but she hopes, even if it’s for her sake, that they’re being honest with each other right now.

 

* * *

 

WILLE makes a point to give the children an education, filling in the gaps of missing textbooks as best as they can. It takes a few years to set up, but the results are worth it. Some crew members have been teachers before and know how to handle a group of children.

Since there can be periods where everyone has a lot of free time, some write down their knowledge in what becomes makeshift textbooks. Not all of them are comfortable with teaching, but some of them try their best, Ritsuko included. Others are more proficient at writing stories, but their works are as precious.

Sakura thinks she likes those imperfect textbooks better than the neatly made ones, relics of a past time, because they have more personality. The neatly typed books seem so impersonal compared to the WILLE textbooks, filled with different handwritings, filled with the efforts of their large family.

There are even drawings in the margin sometimes, most of them being courtesy of Mari. It’s always unexpected and it brings sorely needed levity to everyone involved. Sometimes, they even appear on pages they hadn’t been on before over the course of their learning. Sakura thinks that might be one of Mari’s gifts, whatever some of the sour adults may say about it.

Sakura also gets private lessons as the informally adopted daughter of high command. Her curious nature makes her an almost endless source of questions. Mari happily obliges and sometimes mentions that one of her comrades might know about something more than she does.

This is how she starts spending more time with Ritsuko, who is an accomplished scientist, and how she gets ahead of other children in certain subjects. When Sakura’s room becomes a private place of learning, Mari is usually there with her as a fellow student and asks questions with an enthusiastic raise of a hand.

Sakura doesn’t know if Mari is doing this to make her feel less alone or if she has things she wants to learn – perhaps a mix of both – but she appreciates it. Sakura also gets to see sides of Ritsuko she’s never seen before. She had always seen her being serious or exasperated but now she knows of her subtle humor, her passion for technology, and the way one eyebrow raises when she’s amused…

She also gets to see more of Misato, who sometimes comes in when she requires Ritsuko’s help. She looks apologetic when she does, which is not something Sakura had previously associated with her. When Misato asks for Ritsuko, Mari’s eyes sparkle mischievously and if Misato notices she only gives an exasperated but fond shake of her head. Sakura cocks her head to the side in confusion and Mari only answers with a wink.

It’s much later that Sakura understands why Mari always acts like that when they’re here and she can’t help but giggle at the realization. Mari is a whirlwind of teasing and also a romantic. She eventually dubs them the ‘old married couple’, much to the amusement of the staff in high command.

The first time Mari makes that comment, Misato shows a rare blush. For her part, Ritsuko raises an eyebrow and calmly sips her coffee before retorting that she and Asuka sometimes act more like a married couple than they do. This time, Mari is the one who shows a rare moment of embarrassment, though it’s hardly noticeable for those who don’t know her enough, while Asuka just gapes.

Misato smirks and doesn’t miss the opportunity for payback. She follows Ritsuko’s trail and remarks that Asuka and Mari might just be the young counterpart to their ‘old married couple’. Ritsuko adds, almost nonchalantly, that they even have a daughter already. Sakura agrees wholeheartedly and Asuka glances at Mari in a plea for help after passing through several shades of red.

Mari, who had used that line of teasing with Asuka before, finds herself bitten back by it. She glances back to Asuka with a flighty smile and a shrug because, for once, she’s stumped for an appropriate comeback. Asuka gives her a _look_ that only serves to support Ritsuko and Misato’s words and heightens the general hilarity present in the room.

Sakura is the one who speaks next. She says, almost too innocently, that it means Misato and Ritsuko also have a granddaughter. Mari grins wickedly. She couldn’t have done better herself. Asuka grumbles something about Mari rubbing off on Sakura too much, purposefully avoiding Misato’s gaze.

Everyone knows there’s a bond between Asuka and Misato, but it has never really been put into words. Asuka usually avoids this kind of subject like the plague. Asuka hasn’t reacted in an outburst of anger and Misato thinks it might be a positive sign. Sakura isn’t deterred by the sudden mood change. She has faith in Asuka and she thinks the two of them would have danced around the subject for far too long without an intervention like this.

Misato thoughtfully looks at Asuka, and then breaks into a wry smile. “Even if I wanted to call it that, I doubt Asuka would agree,” she says, masking the hurt she feels.

There’s a pause. Misato has already resigned to her fate, so the lack of answer isn’t a surprise. “…No, that’s fine,” Asuka finally replies. She’s still looking away but her voice doesn’t waver.

Asuka had always associated the word ‘mother’ – and by extension ‘family’– with negative things. The same went for people in general. After all, no one had ever cared about her outside of her piloting, not even her own mother. So, she told herself she wouldn’t need anyone ever again.

And then, Misato had been the first one to genuinely care about her as a person. And Asuka had been scared – she still is. Despite all of Misato’s faults, she showed Asuka what it was like to have a loving family. Misato was also one of the first people Asuka came to care for, and it had been hard to reconcile with her the way she had lived her life until then.

Now, here she is, part of a group she feels she belongs to, thanks to Misato. Misato has a knack for getting people together and she’s been a good leader throughout the years.

Misato is stunned for a second after Asuka’s words. She knows Asuka has come a long way – they all have – but seeing it for herself is always different than just knowing. She breaks out into a small smile without realizing it at first. Asuka chances a glance and smiles back tentatively upon seeing it.

All of the other occupants of the room are warmed by the scene and silently show it in all their different ways. Sakura is beaming. Mari’s smile is soft, her eyes affectionate. She allows herself to not hide it, since everyone is focused on those two.

The moment is gone as quickly as it came and they all get back to business. It feels like any other day in high command but they all know that brief moment was meaningful in a myriad of ways.

When the meeting is over, Sakura looks extremely proud of Asuka. Mari voices it with her typical catlike grin and the combination of the two makes Asuka blush lightly, much to her annoyance. Mari doesn’t miss the opportunity to comment on how well they raised their daughter and Asuka grunts.

With the topic of mothers so recent in her mind, she looks at Sakura’s bright smile and thinks that, at least, she didn’t repeat her mother’s mistakes. The thought makes her… somewhat happy. Sakura only deserves the best anyone has to offer.

She looks at Mari, who looks right back at her with a knowing grin. Asuka snaps her head away almost instantly and she hears Mari’s quiet snicker. She usually glares at Mari after being teased, but she doesn’t have the heart for it right now.

Mari understands, as she always manages to do, and brushes their fingertips lightly together behind Sakura. The tension she hadn’t even noticed in her muscles melts away partly. She doesn’t quite smile, but the warmth in her chest spreads.

 

* * *

 

Sumire is kind and calm. Sakura thinks of her as a big sister, albeit in a different way than Asuka and Mari. It must be because they’re closer in age and the makeshift classes on Wunder couldn’t afford to separate children based on a few years of difference. She’s about 3 years older than Sakura.

Sumire is a remarkably serious student, with focus on physics and computational skills. She learns the latter mostly through Maya, since Ritsuko often has a packed schedule. She and Sakura are driven by the same sentiment of wanting to help WILLE as much as possible. Sakura’s reasons are partly personal but she learns later that Sumire had been inspired by Misato’s speeches when she was younger.

Sakura smiles a bit at that, because she knows Misato’s position induces a lot of stress but she thinks Misato would be happy to hear Sumire’s words. Sumire becomes her first friend outside of the circle forming high command. The others are either jealous because they think she’s doted on or they’re somewhat intimidated.

Sumire, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to mind. She sometimes asks Sakura about them after they get closer and Sumire always has this look of quiet respect when she listens. There are a lot of moments where they don’t talk much. Sakura is used to silence or the conversation being animated by Mari – who inevitably brings Asuka into it when she can – and Sumire is the quiet type of person.

That all changes when they take in a group of survivors and the teen is a girl close to Sakura’s age, who is now 14. Her name is Midori Kitakami and she seems like the friendly type of person. Sakura doesn’t know how exactly it happened, but their group grows to three and Midori has a lot to say.

They help each other study and they talk about various subjects, including what role they’d like to get on Wunder. They want to be at the top, near the legends, and Sakura thinks she might as well introduce them to everyone at high command.

When it happens, Sumire and Midori are trying as hard as they can to hide their nervousness. Sakura has to bite back a smile, because she doesn’t think she’s seen either of them that nervous. Sumire appears mostly calm, but she stumbles on her words. Midori wrings her hands together and babbles.

Mari is the first one they encounter and seems to be having the time of her life before she finally decides to put them out of their misery. After that, Mari is the one who leads them to the others and she calms their nerves effortlessly with Sakura’s help. If they thought Asuka was scary before, her interactions with Mari completely dispels that image.

Sakura’s come a long way from her lonely days in her cabin, thanks to Mari and Asuka taking care of her. She’s delighted because she has no doubt Sumire and Midori will be able to join what she has come to consider her family, namely the main occupants of the command room.

 

* * *

 

What Sakura loves the most are the rare moments where everyone gets together, usually in her room, and she can enjoy their company all at once. She’s sure the others appreciate it as much as she does since their group is so tight-knit but don’t have a lot of opportunities to relax all at the same time.

It sometimes becomes a private party when there’s something to celebrate, and the alcohol reserve is opened briefly for that purpose. Misato seems like a completely different person after she drinks and Sakura can see the nostalgia present in those who knew her before the Third Impact.

Sakura doesn’t drink because she’s underage and Mari thinks it’s cute how she holds on to rules from a past era. Asuka either doesn’t drink at all or takes a few sips. The others drink at a moderate pace and the buzz of the different conversations is somewhat calming.

There is a conscious team effort to prevent a drinking contest between Misato and Mari at every gathering because they both seem to be able to ingest an alarming amount of alcohol without passing out. They know they’re only delaying the inevitable but it’s still worth trying.

Mari and Misato tend to tease Asuka together, much to her dismay. They never go too far though, and Asuka silently appreciates it. In the later years, Mari sometimes ends up resting her head against Asuka’s and seems content to silently hold this position.

Asuka starts wrapping an arm around Mari’s waist after this happens a few times and even pulls Mari closer on occasion. That never fails to elicit a happy grin from Mari and Asuka silently blushes when she sees it. If Mari’s feeling daring, she plants a small kiss on Asuka’s cheek, which usually doesn’t help her blush in the slightest. But it’s not a teasing gesture, so Asuka can’t act annoyed.

Eventually, Misato ends up draped over Ritsuko while the latter talks science with Maya and Sumire. Sometimes, Misato makes an effort to try to follow the conversation but she gives up relatively quickly. Instead, she’s content to doze off against Ritsuko or leave sleepy kisses on her neck.

Ritsuko never looks fazed in the least but she does bring her free hand to rest on Misato’s arms. Misato giggles giddily when that happens and Ritsuko’s mouth twitches up in the middle of her sentence. But Sakura notices that when everyone decides to go back to their respective rooms, Ritsuko allows her expression to soften as she escorts Misato to their room.

Before she notices it, Sakura always ends up beaming in the middle of these gatherings and Mari ruffles her hair with a laugh because she’s just too adorable. She doesn’t know how it happened, but Sakura has a feeling she’s become the mascot of the group, even among the younger ones.

Sakura’s eyes often come to rest on a portion of her wall. There’s a drawing of her family hanging on her wall based on an old childhood drawing. The art is much more polished than the older version and she remembers Mari had praised her for it. Even Asuka had approved verbally.

As per Mari’s suggestion, it was created with enough space to add new members after the last one couldn’t hold any new additions. Her child self hadn’t exactly planned ahead. Sakura gradually fills it over the years, and it makes her happy to look at it. Sakura hopes she can one day add this Rei person she’s heard so much about. She wonders if she should make a final version after in that case.

**Author's Note:**

> Or: how WILLE gradually becomes a family.


End file.
